The Guardian: Georgian political prisoners call on UK to sanction Georgian Dream over its ties to Iran
Georgian political prisoners adress UK Foreign Office
Jailed Georgian opposition figures have written to the UK Foreign Secretary over the Georgian Dream party’s links with Iran, The Guardian reports.
The newspaper said that seven political prisoners are urging Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to impose sanctions in response to what they describe as the “unprecedented expansion” of Iranian influence in Georgia.
Arrested opposition leaders are urging Cooper to impose sanctions on those involved in forging ties with Iran, as well as on the owners of pro-government media outlets targeting Georgian audiences — including some “based in London” — which they accuse of amplifying the government’s messaging.
In their letter, jailed politicians claim that Georgia’s alignment with Iran was underscored when Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili expressed solidarity with the Iranian embassy following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The letter also points to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s visit to Tehran, where he appeared alongside leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah as chants of “Death to America!” rang out.
Letter from Georgian political prisoners to the UK Foreign Office
“We respectfully urge you to consider extending sanctions to these individuals, their entities, and their family members, to ensure they can no longer enjoy the benefits of the UK’s democratic society while working to erode it.
Over recent years, Georgian Dream and its patron, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, have consolidated control over all state institutions, achieving full state capture and steadily dismantling the democratic constitutional order.
Currently, there are more political prisoners per capita in Georgia (over 60) than in Russia. Сivil society is under attack through draconian laws that mimic Russian practices and aim to completely destroy it. This is a frontal assault. Equally alarming is the unprecedented expansion of Iranian influence.
The UK government has implemented sanctions against Georgian Dream’s repressive apparatus. These measures had a tangible impact and were widely welcomed by our people.
Yet we are concerned that key enablers of Georgian Dream – including business allies, family members of Mr Ivanishvili, and owners of propaganda outlets that, according to credible reports, spread Russian-scripted disinformation even targeting the UK – still continue to benefit from the UK’s financial system, with some operations reportedly based in London.
